THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 191 
Hemiptera (Bugs).—One species, probably a Reduvid, 
was taken in the nest of Huponera lutea. A small light 
brown bug is quite numerous with the same species of 
ant. 
Coccidac.—One species of scale insect was taken in 
the nest of a small brown ant at Oatley. The same scale 
I have since taken at Como, in the nest of Huponera lutea. 
In both cases they were attached to roots within the nest. 
Diptera (Flies). Family SYRPHIDAE (Uover Flies). 
—In a nest of Iridomyrmes gracilis at Como, during July, a 
small cluster of pale yellowish cocoon-like objects (which 
were really pupae), eight in number, were seen by me. 
They were parchment-like in texture. Hach was flattered 
at the base, with the upper surface reunded, and when 
viewed from above, oval in outline, the measurements be- 
ing—length 8 mm., width 4 mm., height 4 mm. Running 
longitudinally cn the dorsal surface are two rows of small 
protuberances, and around the sides near the basal margin 
there is a single row. In the centre of the posterior (tail) 
end there is an elongated process, and at the anterior 
(head) end there are two thinner processes. Unfortunately 
only one specimen hatched out in the jar with perfect 
wings, about three weeks later; of the remaining specimens, 
six did not develop wings, and one did not hatch out. 
The perfect fly is black, with metallic blue tints. The 
femur and tibia of the legs are orange coloured. ‘The 
antennae stand out distinctly in front of the head. . The 
wings are transparent, but the veins towards the tip have 
smoky-brown borders. Length from head to tip of wings, 
10 mm. 
The empty shells of these pupae I have seen in ants’ 
nests in the hollow branches of Acacia longifolia, at Cook’s 
River. 
Many interesting notes and descriptions of myrme- 
cophilous beetles will be found in the following papers :— 
Proceedings Roy. Soc., Victoria, Vol. XVII. (New 
Series). pt. IL., 1904; Vol. XXIII. (New Series), pt. L. 
1910; Vol. XXIV. (New Series), pt. I., 1911; Vol. XXV. 
(New Series), pt. I., 1912; Vol. XXVI. (New Series), pt. 
TI., 1914; Victorian Naturalist, Vol. XXVII., No. 3, 1910. 
